Compact Fluorescent Bulb Recycling
- The City of Austin’s Hazardous Waste Facility
Hours: The first Saturday of the month from 7 a.m. to Noon & Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays
2514 Business Center Drive - Map & Directions - IKEA (they sell CFB’s as well)
Hours: 10am - 9pm daily
1 IKEA Way - Map & Directions
This may seem like a pain in the butt at first, but there are ways of managing your recycling and hard-to-dispose of items that is simple and efficient. Other items around your home, such as left over paint or computers and small electronics, also should find their final destination at a disposal or recycling facility. My tip is to designate containers to store these items until you have a large enough quantity or a chance to take them to the proper facility. This method is also useful for items to be donated and conveniently, Goodwill accepts many recyclables as well. The trick is to keep these containers convenient so they fit into your busy life well (like a clothing donation container in your closet and bulb container in your garage or shed) and are conveniently there at the moment you need them.
And if you do break a CF bulb, like breaking a thermometer, the EPA recommends the following steps for clean-up:
- Get everyone else out of the area (ie kids, pets)
- Open doors and windows for ventilation (for 15 minutes)
- Close doors leading to other parts of the house
- Wear gloves if available, but don’t touch the mercury with your bare hands
- Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or wet-wipes and dispose in a sealed plastic bag
- Do not use a broom or vacuum to clean the broken glass on hard surfaces, use the damp cloth
- If the bulb breaks on carpet or a vacuum is needed, remove the vacuum bag (or empty & wipe the cannister) after vacuuming and place the materials in two sealed bags. Place in outdoor garbage.
- Place the sealed bag into another sealed bag and place in the trash outdoors to be collected on the next trash collection day
- And of course, wash your hands
More Information from the EPA:
Information on Proper Disposal of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) 
(72KB)
Frequently Asked Questions about Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and Mercury (PDF) (2 pp., 71K, About PDF)
Find fluorescent light bulb recycling programs in your area
So best of luck with all of your efforts on reducing your carbon footprint the practical way!
Aria McIntosh
Builder, Realtor®, e-Pro
Corias Homes, Inc. & BridgeOne Properties
aria@ariamcintosh.com
ariamcintosh.com
coriashomes.com
bridgeoneproperties.com
$2,850,000
Hill Country Views
Panoramic View
3 1.71+/- ac. private Lake Austin waterfront lots (PENDING TAKING BACKUPS)
1.0+/- acre lot; gated Barton Creek community (SOLD)
ariakristen@gmail.com
talk/txt 512.771.1776
gtalk ariakristen
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This comment is in response to a missing comment (did I accidentally delete it?) posted by Hazmat Is Fun which said…
Hg has been gone for over 10 years. You must have found an old EPA website.
My response: this is inaccurate!
This is a discussion that has been ongoing with people around me so it seems that the general knowledge is that there is Mercury in CFBs. Although I imagine that the EPA does not update their site instantly, I highly doubt that the information is 10 years old. It seems that the amount of Hg in fluorescent bulbs is now (voluntarily) limited but it is in there.
Here are more sources relating to Hg in CFBs. I’d rather be safe than sorry and would prefer to recycle what I can anyway! Mercury IS allowed in bulbs and it IS a concern with the environment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_light_bulb …
“Mercury emissions
“CFLs, like all fluorescent lamps (e.g., long tubular lamps common in offices and kitchens), contain small amounts of mercury[32][33] and it is a concern for landfills and waste incinerators where the mercury from lamps may be released and contribute to air and water pollution. In the USA, lighting manufacturer members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have made a voluntary commitment to cap the amount of mercury used in CFLs:
“Under the voluntary commitment, effective April 15, 2007, NEMA members will cap the total mercury content in CFLs of less than 25 watts at 5 milligrams (mg) per unit. The total mercury content of CFLs that use 25 to 40 watts of electricity will be capped at 6 mg per unit.[34]”
From http://www.worldwise.com/recfluorlig.html …
“Fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury. The standard fluorescent lamp contains approximately 20 milligrams of mercury. While there are no known health hazards from exposure to lamps that are intact, improper disposal of fluorescent lamps can contaminate the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that over 800 million lamps are produced each year to replace 800 million lamps that are then disposed. Since 1 gram of mercury is enough to contaminate a 2-acre pond, there is enough mercury in those lamps to contaminate 20 million acres of water.
“Mercury is toxic to the human nervous system. Chronic breathing of mercury vapors can cause a range of physical symptoms, including inability to coordinate body movement and impairment of hearing, speech and vision. Exposure to mercury in other forms can lead to skin rashes and kidney damage.”
SOSLightBulbs.com recently got this press release concerning mercury content in CFL’s. We thought this could be of interest to your readers.
———————————-
Use even less mercury with MaxLite’s™ low mercury compact fluorescent lamps. Reinforcing its goal of producing the lowest mercury CFLs, MaxLite™ was one of the first in the industry to participate in the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association’s (NEMA) initiative, “Voluntary Commitment on Mercury in CFLs.” Participants in the program pledge to limit the mercury content of their self-ballasted CFLs (residential use only) with less than 25 watts to 5 mg. and those with 25-40 watts to 6 mg. per bulb. MaxLite™ CFLs utilize only 1.2 to 2.5mg of mercury per lamp; half the amount present on the tip of a ball point pen, as compared to typical CFLS containing 4 mg. of mercury.
Always ahead of the curve, MaxLite™ has created a unique procedure to control the amount of liquid mercury in its compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). In its burner production, MaxLite™ accuracy is achieved by the utilization of a sealed tool akin to a medical injection tube. This permits defined quantities of liquid mercury to enter it each time the fluid is drawn. Then the identical amount of liquid mercury is infused into the burner. One amalgam dice is placed into the mercury control of the amalgam lamps. The amount of mercury is also fixed as the amalgam dice’s weight is controlled by amalgam manufacturers.
The low mercury quantity is the least amount MaxLite™ deems feasible for a compact fluorescent lamp to maintain a long and productive life.